The Genius Actor Who Brings Misfortune

Translator: Marctempest
Editor: Rynfinity

Chapter: 7

I started mimicking Park Ha-eun because of my conversation with Mist.

“Mist.”

“Wow! Yeon-jae spoke to me first? Unbelievable! Why? What’s going on? Do you need me?”

“…Can’t you talk normally?”

“Aww, why~. It’s fun!”

This guy became more and more mischievous as time went by.

He couldn’t stay still for a moment, and his incessant pranks had already tested my patience to its limit.

He did things that even a four-year-old wouldn’t do, and it seemed to diminish his combat ability.

“Hehe. But really, why did you call me?”

“I’m not sure if asking you is the right thing, but there’s no one else to ask.”

“Yeah! What is it? Ask anything!”

“I need to make a good impression on the company executives. How should I do that?”

I threw out the question that had been bothering me since I left the director’s office earlier today.

Not only did I have to take photos, but I also had to introduce the orphanage. While I nodded calmly in front of the director, I was actually quite flustered.

I had never done anything like that before, and no matter how I looked at it, I didn’t seem to have any qualities that adults would like.

Wouldn’t they stop sponsoring us because of me?

I was anxious and felt the need to ask someone, anyone, for advice, even if I doubted it would help.

Surprisingly, Mist looked serious as soon as he heard my words.

I had a faint hope that his hesitant, contemplative look might yield a useful opinion.

“Executives… Executives… Executives?”

“…?”

“Are you talking about people who hold key positions in a company? Haha! That’s hilarious! You really use the funniest words!”

I felt ashamed for having expected anything.

When I asked him what he had just done, he said he used a device in his head that he uses when he doesn’t understand something I say or is curious about humans.

He said he could use it if he closed his eyes and concentrated for a moment. It was such a Mist-like explanation.

He pretended to know something while not really understanding it.

He kept giggling about how funny the word ‘executives’ was, and since he was in the form of Park Ha-eun, I couldn’t even hit him.

Recently, he had been staying in that form for a long time, so when I asked if he liked Park Ha-eun, he replied with an absurd answer: “It’s fun to see your ears turn red when I compliment you like this!”

Last time, he whispered in my ear, “Soft and chewy, our Yeon-jae, I want to gobble you up in one bite,” which I didn’t understand fully, but it was creepy enough to get the gist and feel annoyed.

Oh, did he learn that kind of talk from that device too?

‘…Is there no way to destroy it?’

Without realizing it, I was glaring at Mist’s head, and he finally stopped laughing, sensing something.

“Cough, my stomach hurts! So why do you need to impress the executives?”

“So they will continue sponsoring us. If I mess up, the director could be negatively affected.”

“Hmm, then maybe you should act like a young person that older people like?”

Mist spun around in the air and instantly changed his appearance.

When I blinked, the student in our class who always slept during lessons appeared.

“How about this person~? I see your homeroom teacher seems to like them!”

“That’s probably because they don’t cause trouble.”

“Oh… Then how about this person?”

This time, he turned into a student who seemed as mischievous as Mist. I didn’t like that either.

After about four rounds of, “No, that’s not it. I don’t think so. Wow, that’s really not it,” Mist got annoyed.

I felt a little better.

“Why don’t you ask someone else instead of asking me?”

“Who should I ask? I can’t ask the teacher, and it’s a difficult question to ask the kids.”

“Hmm… That’s true.”

“I should’ve at least searched the internet.”

Like most kids in the orphanage, I didn’t have a phone.

To use the internet, I had to apply in advance before 8 o’clock to use the computer, and I was just thinking I should tell the teacher tomorrow.

“Huh? Internet? You mean the system humans use to search for things they don’t know and share information?”

“Simply put, yes.”

“I can do that too. I just did it! Why don’t I do it for you?”

“…That’s true.”

With Mist’s help, I checked all the pictures that came up when I searched for ‘orphanage sponsorship.’

Mist projected the screen in the air so I could see it too, similar to how a projector is used in movies.

All the kids in the pictures looked bright and confident.

The person around me who resembled that the most was Park Ha-eun.

“Then I should act like Park Ha-eun.”

“Hehe. That sounds fun!”

Little did I know that the words I uttered without much thought would completely change my life.

* * *

Not long ago, Kim Min-hyuk, who had smoothly parachuted into the position of director, was in a very low mood.

His secretary’s nagging about visiting the orphanage had made him come to work after barely six hours of sleep.

At his age, where skin was crucial, that amount of sleep was practically a death sentence.

Trying to get it over with as quickly as possible, his secretary told him that a journalist was coming to take pictures and that he would need to be there for at least two hours.

‘Anyway, what kind of photos are they going to take, chasing me all the way here?’

Of course, it was Kim Min-hyuk himself who insisted on taking photos for widespread publicity since it was his first official activity, but that wasn’t important to him.

In fact, the person holding the camera now was not a journalist, but a freelance photographer hired externally.

It was crazy to expose the faces of sponsored children in this day and age.

This situation arose because Kim Min-hyuk had made a fuss about preparing a child who matched his ‘status.’

It was the PR team’s job to make the rather rude request to Director Yoo to present a child with a favorable appearance.

It was so sad to have to constantly apologize to Director Yoo, who was visibly embarrassed, while insisting on the request.

Though it was unexpected to find an incredibly handsome child standing at the orphanage they arrived at, Kim Min-hyuk had no intention of taking proper photos anyway.

After all, Kim Min-hyuk’s eldest brother, Kim Min-woo, who was also the vice president, had instructed the staff, “He’s just a complete idiot, so please get my confirmation before proceeding with anything.”

In short, this visit was a show for the newly appointed, immature director.

Despite the employees’ efforts, Kim Min-hyuk’s mood was bad because the kid, who was smiling brightly at him, was too handsome.

He had asked for someone who wouldn’t pale in comparison next to him, not someone who would outshine him.

“Should I call you Director?”

“Oh, sure.”

“Yes! Then I’ll first show you the room where we study!”

Lee Yeon-jae or whatever his name was, the kid wasn’t as annoying as he had expected.

As he looked into the bright, lively black eyes, Kim Min-hyuk’s initial aversion began to ease.

The brightly smiling child wasn’t being annoyingly oblivious.

For example,

“I heard that being a director keeps you very busy. You must be tired?”

“Yeah. The company is running so hectically.”

“Yes. Then you can see the living quarters next time you visit. I’ll guide you just up to here today!”

The facility was bigger than he had expected for an orphanage, and he was thinking, ‘When am I going to see all of this…’ but Yeon-jae preemptively finished the tour with a bright face.

No one could say anything because of the way the kid behaved, and the tour ended in less than 30 minutes.

“You must be thirsty. Would you like some tea or coffee?”

“Hmm… Sure. Coffee, please.”

Kim Min-hyuk hated tea the most in the world.

He disliked all types—green tea, black tea, milk tea, and he wasn’t fond of bitter coffee either.

However, as a director, there weren’t many suitable options to drink at an event like this.

He hid his annoyance and replied, but Yeon-jae hesitated before suggesting hot chocolate, if it was okay with the director.

Kim Min-hyuk instinctively nodded but then paused for a moment.

Yeon-jae quickly apologized and added that it was his favorite drink and he wanted the director to try it.

So, maintaining the dignity of a director who adjusted to the child’s wishes, Kim Min-hyuk ended up drinking hot chocolate to his heart’s content.

“You’re really cool! My dream is to work for a company when I grow up too.”

“Pfft, hey. That’s nothing to dream about.”

Kim Min-hyuk couldn’t help but laugh, looking at the sparkling eyes of the child, which suited the phrase ‘shining.’

Gradually, the awareness that he was visiting the orphanage as a director faded, and he found himself genuinely engaging in the conversation with the child in front of him.

Kim Min-hyuk’s secretary, watching this scene, couldn’t help but admire internally.

‘He’s no ordinary kid….’

Yeon-jae’s ability to bring up topics where Kim Min-hyuk could boast about his greatness without delving into too much detail was remarkable.

Both Kim Min-hyuk and the accompanying staff were mesmerized by the boy who spoke so brightly.

Moreover, he didn’t overreact or seem calculated with his expressions.

It seemed his true nature was to act innocently deceptive behind a bright smile.

“So, Yeon-jae, is there anything you need these days?”

“The director and teachers take good care of us!”

Despite the fact that the conversation had lasted over two hours, the child still smiled brightly, even at an adult who couldn’t remember his name correctly.

The secretary, thinking that the child must have some cunning, also felt a warm feeling from his clear smile.

Having such a positive energy around was indeed a blessing.

Watching the child who smiled brightly as if he had never experienced any hardship, the secretary, worn out by the world, couldn’t help but feel a bit envious.

* * *

I laughed, feeling nauseous from the excessive sweetness.

‘Sweet things really aren’t my style….’

Since I usually avoided sweet things, the hot chocolate I hadn’t had in a long time tasted too sweet, almost bitter.

However, the director was laughing relaxedly, sitting on the sofa, perhaps because of the sweetness.

‘The reaction doesn’t seem too bad, does it?’

The director was the type whose thoughts were clearly visible on his face, and it wasn’t hard to gain his favor by watching his stretching legs and his gaze at the hot chocolate powder.

I hadn’t intended to act so much like Park Ha-eun, but mimicking her smile naturally led to adopting her mannerisms and actions.

“Director, it’s time for you to leave now.”

Just as I thought it might be time to wrap things up, the secretary approached.

The director, looking slightly disappointed, got up and talked to me until he was just about to get into the car.

He told me to contact him if I needed anything, but since he didn’t even give me his business card, it didn’t seem like a meaningful statement.

Watching the sedan elegantly disappear just as it had arrived, I let out a sigh of relief.

I was tired, but it ended well, thankfully. However, something felt off.

‘What is it… I feel like I missed something.’

Thinking deeply as I walked, it struck me like lightning when I saw the vegetable garden.

An accident, the accident that was supposed to happen today hadn’t occurred.